


Pari Passu - Beauty and the Beast Version

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1169]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 19:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16878042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Ducky and Gibbs discover just how bad things are for the kingdom. Will they be able to make things better? Or will they only get worse?





	Pari Passu - Beauty and the Beast Version

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Red_Pink_Dots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Pink_Dots/gifts).



> This is for RPD, an early Christmas present of sorts to cheer her up. I hope. This is also a dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 07/13/2002 for the word [pari passu](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2002/07/13/pari%20passu).
> 
> pari passu  
> with equal pace or progress; side by side.  
> without partiality; equably; fairly.
> 
> It's based off of RPD's Artwork Prompt Challenge particularly the [Abby Under Glass](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14914700/chapters/34547931) artwork.
> 
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> 
> Note, this is the start of a series that I hope to finish this month, but we'll see if it behaves. This is just the first chapter/story.
> 
> I know. I know. I have other series that I'm placing on hold to write this one, but I love beauty and the beast and wanted to do a tribute of sorts to it for Christmas. I will continue the other series in January and finish them eventually I promise.

“Don’t worry, Jethro. I’m sure that you will find the one to walk pari passu with you soon.”

“How? I’m married to a woman who is clearly not my true love. How will I find my true love?”

“Well perhaps you should divorce her, then.”

“But what about the kingdom?”

“If she is not your true love, the kingdom can’t possibly be prospering with her.”

“It seems like it is.”

“We only see those closest to us. There is a lot of land we have no knowledge of and new messengers haven’t been seen in a while.”

“Can you find out about the rest of the land for me, Ducky?”

“Sure, my lord.”

Ducky turned to leave, but before he exited Gibbs’ rooms, he paused and asked, “Where did the rose come from?”

“Diane told me that a sorceress gave it to her, telling her that if a true love marriage was not on the throne by the time it died that the kingdom would cease to exist.”

“Let’s check on the outer kingdom, right now.” Ducky had originally thought to cast the magic in his room, but changed his mind. Gibbs would like to see for himself what things were like Ducky knew.

Gibbs continued to stare at the rose as Ducky started prepping for the spells needed to show what the outer edges of the kingdom looked like. Neither of them were prepared for the devastation that Ducky’s magic revealed.The lush forests were dark with dead trees.

No wild life could be seen anywhere and those trees used to be full of squirrels and various other animals. Even the houses that had been there were cold and empty. 

“Oh god, Ducky. What have I done? Where are the people?”

Ducky moved the area being displayed looking to see if they could find anyone alive. After searching through a significant area of desolation, they finally found an old man clearly on his last legs. 

“It wasn’t you, Jethro. It was Diane. She’s ruined the outer edges even faster than the curse would have normally to keep the inner areas near the palace beautiful.”

“This can’t stand, Ducky. We have to help these people.”

“First, we must deal with Diane. Then we can start working on rescuing our people and seeing what we can do for them. We can have a ball to invite all the neighboring kingdoms to expand your chances of finding your true love.”

“Of course. I will divorce her immediately.”

“Are you sure, Jethro? Will you just boot her out of the palace?”

“Why not? Clearly, marrying her did not help the kingdom like I thought it was.”

“Don’t be hasty, Jethro. She is much more than she seems and quite dangerous.”

“No. I can’t find my true love until she is gone. She must go before my true love is lost forever.”

Ducky sighed. It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to talk his friend out of this course of action. It wasn’t that he wanted him to stay married to Diane. Merely that, he worried what she would do in retaliation.

Last time, she’d cursed the kingdom to only prosper when true love existed on the throne. What would she do this time? Ducky hoped it would not be anything too drastic.

Of course, Ducky did not get his wish. When Gibbs told Diane that he was divorcing her and that she must leave immediately, it quickly devolved into a shouting match. Gibbs was adamant, however, and his force of will managed to make Diane leave.

The last words she shouted as she left were, “If I can’t have you, no one will want you or your daughter.”

Ducky cursed and tried to throw some protective magic around Gibbs, but it was too late. Before his very eyes, Gibbs’ hair grew longer and shaggier until it covered basically his entire body. The clothes he was wearing couldn’t contain him any longer as every part of his body grew fur and increased in size.

That wasn’t the end of it, though. Diane may have left as Gibbs’ wife, but she remained in Abby or someone did. Abby’s face grew even uglier than it had been with the skull on it as the new curse affected her as well.

Both Abby and Gibbs’ personalities changed practically overnight as they became grouchier and grumpier due to their transformations and people’s response to them. Abby appeared to retreat into her gothic emo tendencies while Gibbs just retreated to the basement of the palace where he apparently decided to build a boat. Ducky did his best to keep the kingdom running, but it was hard when no one wanted to be near the King and the King had zero desire to interact with the people that were rejecting him.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok. I had hoped to be further along than I am, but I have finished the stories for posting today, so hopefully I can keep up this pace for now. Apologies for the shorter than normal updates.
> 
> My 2018 Prompt collection is open [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile). Just click the sign up link. ;) It will remain open until the beginning of 2019. I'm hoping to complete all the 2018 prompts by the end of 2019. Here's hoping muse cooperates.
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes.
> 
> For any authors that want to chat and/or are looking for a place where they can toss plot ideas around and get input from people, you can come join my discord server that is specifically geared towards writing/encouraging people to write and authors. The invite link is [here](https://discord.gg/HFvwpCq). If you're not an author, but want to chat with me about writing/stories or anything else you are welcome to join. I reserve the right to boot you from my server if all you do is pester me about updates, however. *grin* Really anyone who wants to talk about writing and/or plot ideas for various stories is welcome to join. 
> 
> I've started a new [poll](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/55450.html) regarding my series and which ones people most want to see continued in place of the Rapprochement series which I have brought to an end for now... 
> 
> Note: The Bishop Entanglement, Crazy Cat Tale, and Pregnant FBI Agent series will be continued no matter what, so you don't need to vote for those. For those who don't have livejournals just leave a comment with your responses. Thanks!
> 
> Also, I'm looking for some writing buddies. Full details are [here](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/53610.html). It is friends locked, so you'll have to add me as a friend on lj before you can read it.
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them. 


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